"GLEICHENHAUSSSSS!!" screams the Jacksonville University sideline in pure eruption after another save from its goalie. For a long surname, it has a funny ring to it when it becomes a cheer.

After another save, the same jubilation occurs. Then another, one more after that, and eventually over 10 more. It's a typical Saturday for Ben Gleichenhaus, one of the top netminders in America, but the man behind the mask is anything but.

"What people don't know is that he literally doesn't talk. He doesn't talk to anybody. He's very quiet and soft-spoken. Even his closest friends say he will come out of his shell only occasionally," said his Head Coach, John Galloway. "To be as poised and introverted as he is, seeing him in team sport with his ability to direct an entire defense is very commendable. His personality is unique and unlike anything I've seen before in that position."

Currently in his junior season, Gleichenhaus is having yet another fantastic year. Entering this weekend's critical Southern Conference game at Mercer, he is second in the conference and eighth nationally with an average of 12.10 saves-per-game. This comes after his sophomore season in which he led the country with a game average of 13.69 saves.

"I thought Ben excelled in the beginning of the season. He thrives under those moments, and doesn't get caught up on the big stage. I've never seen somebody so calm. I think the reality of his numbers are that we aren't playing good defense in front of him," said Galloway. "Ben's game from last year to this season is 10 times better that what it was. We haven't done a good job protecting him, and he's probably seen too many shots."

It's no junior slump. Gleichenhaus has gone toe-to-toe with some of the nation's top attack units, having faced three of the top-10 scoring margin teams, and calls Ohio State's Johnny Pearson the most challenging player he's faced. Pearson is one of the NCAA leaders with four man-up goals for the 10-2 Buckeyes.

"He knew how to place it in spots that it is hard for a goalie to get to," said Gleichenhaus. "Playing those tough teams helped my patience. If you are patient, you have a better chance of making the saves. Coach Galloway has helped me relax in goal and settle my footwork."

"It's not even close, and all of our players would sing that same tune," said Galloway, when asked if Gleichenhaus was the team's MVP of the early season. "The Hartford game sticks out to me for his patience. It was a game where he had seen way too many shots, and we continued to allow them to get high-quality looks on cage. We were down big and he was patient enough not to become frustrated. I thought it was an All-America effort. While the score did not indicate his efforts, the film showed it could have been worse if Ben Gleichenhaus was not in cage.

Communicating came easier to me, while Ben is a better ball-stopper than I was. Every goalie has a different personality; Ben certainly has a calm and cool demeanor," said Galloway. "We are trying to bring him out of his shell a little bit because the team respects him so much."

It says something when the NCAA's all-time leader in wins, minutes, and the only two-time First-Team All-America at goalkeeper heaps the praise of his ball-stopping prowess.

"The best thing about him is that he's so coachable. He's willing to try anything that will help his game. He's been a pleasure to work with because knowing no matter what you ask, he's going to give it his best," beamed Galloway. "He's never satisfied. Even after his best games, he came into the office looking for suggestions on how to get better. He's very hungry, and I think the sky is the limit for his development. His character traits are going to carry him far in life."

It's been a steady climb of progress for the Cherry Hills, Colo., native. He's grown from trying to halt backyard goals from his sister, Sarah, to a JU epiphany two years ago at Mercer.

As a freshman, Gleichenhaus entered in the second quarter of a road game with the Bears. He allowed two goals before halftime and saw the Dolphins trail 8-3. Gleichenhaus regrouped and held ground the second half, shutting out Mercer and Jacksonville rallied to force overtime before falling in double-overtime.

"It changed my mindset that I could be the starting goalie at JU instead of a backup for two seasons. I changed my thinking about working out and preparation," he said.  

Now, he sojourns back to back to his birth as a stalwart goalie knowing what a win would do for his team.

"Now that we've got that first win, we realized all the work is paying off," Gleichenhaus said. "If we keep doing what we've been trying to do this whole year, it's going to end up getting us more wins and into the SoCon playoffs."